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- CAP Opposes State-Mandated Opioid Related CME Requirements
The CAP has spoken out against state-mandated continuing medical education (CME) for opioid prescribing for physicians who do not have DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) licenses. Quite a few states have applied the opioid CME mandate to pathologists and other physicians for whom this CME is of no medical value given the complete absence of prescription activity.
In a January 22 letter to the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), CAP President Donald S. Karcher, MD, FCAP stated: “As a practical matter, while the CME is not overly onerous, it does detract from value-added medical education and medical practice time involving patient diagnosis and care. We further urge the FSMB to recommend to State Medical Boards, that are invested with policy or regulatory discretion, to exempt physicians under the pertinent CMEs’ categorical criteria to provide regulatory relief for physicians who can then devote such time to more useful medical activities germane to their scope of practice and further provide excellent patient care.”
The CAP will continue to engage with the FSMB on this matter to reduce unnecessary burdens for pathologists.